Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

Earlier today we saw what AT&T has in store for use device-wise for the remainder of 2008 and now it is Verizon’s turn, and it looks just as exciting as the AT&T lineup.

Beginning in August, it looks like we can expect to see the UTStarcom TXT8010. Also coming in August is the Nokia 2605 Mirage and the Samsung SCH-U440 which are both expected to be released on the 8th, then the Motorola VU30 is expected in mid-August and the Samsung SCH-U430 is expected in late-August.

Moving on from there we also have the Samsung SCH-U310, Nokia 7205 Intrigue and Palm Treo 800w. Finally we also have the Motorola Blaze ZN4, which has no specific date, however it is expected sometime before September 22.

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Last night I had the occasion to play around with the new crop of phones put out by the industry’s big players.  It always surprises me how quickly a phone can feel great or not so great in your hand vs staring at it on the screen.  I was shocked at how quickly I hated one of these supposedly sexy models and how much I liked one I really didn’t think I would.  Here is the run down:

HTC Touch Diamond. One word: HOT!  This little phone is very sexy and after I figured out how to turn the bugger on, it was off to the races.  The skin over the Windows Mobile OS is the best yet in terms of speed and functionality.  I’ve played with a few of these skins and this one is rather remarkable.  The screen is very responsive, and it’s tempered glass feels very high end.  It even has a tilt game with feedback as your little ball hits the obstacles.  Overall, I was very impressed with this diminutive phone and could easily see owning this one. 

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The European release of the Touch Diamond from HTC has been pushed back a few weeks. Originally scheduled for a June 9 release, it is now being shown as a “worse case scenario delivery date” of June 23. HTC has not made any official announcement regarding the delay other than stating it was “due to circumstances beyond our control,” of course others on the web have been reporting other details. Mobility Today has claimed that the delay was caused by a ROM update and that HTC needed to update the firmware. As of now its just a small delay, lets just hope it does not see any further delays.

Via [Gizmodo]

While the FCC images usually keep most of the details tight and secure, this latest bit of information seems to be holding a little more than usual. We have here what we can only guess is the successor to the Shadow, which is officially known as the HTC CONV100 and will hit the market as the Shadow II.

While the details are light, it looks like the Shadow II will offer up a nice set of improvements and include an 1100mAh battery, as well as Windows Mobile 6.1 out of the box. In addition, it is also expected to include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and come in either silver or black. As you would expect with the FCC information, pricing and availability timeframe still remains as much as mystery as it was before.

Via [IntoMobile]

HTC fans can rejoice as the Touch Diamond has begun to show up a little earlier than expected at a handful of online retailers. Originally scheduled for an “early-June” release date, it seems these lucky few retailers were fortunate enough to get an early shipment, and if you are willing to shell out the rather high price tag one can be yours. Currently being listed on three websites, which include DechoWireless, PopularElectronics and Welectronics. The Touch Diamond is retailing as low as $780 and topping out at $900, this pricing is of course for an unlocked version. If like us, you have never shopped any of these retailers, its pretty safe to think that once we see the official release date come that we will also see a wider selection of sites to shop from.

Via [IntoMobile]

The slider styled, TouchFLO and Windows Mobile 6.1 equipped HTC Touch Dual is expected to finally become available at Best Buy retail locations, Best Buy Mobile locations and online this weekend. Having been announced back in April and the pre-order page showing up online last month it feels like its been a long wait, but with the Touch Dual’s features it should prove to be well worth it, especially for 3G loving AT&T customers. The Touch Dual will be sold unlocked and retail for $549.99.

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Following earlier releases in the US, the ultra-mobile PC HTC Shift gets another release this time to the Canadia mobile market courtesy of Rogers Wireless. Yes dear readers from Canada, it’s time to pay homage to Rogers for bringing this powerful UMPC to your beloved country. If you have no idea how rich the HTC Shift in features and functionality, take a gander at the following specs.

The HTC Shift X9501 touts Windows Vista for its OS, touch-screen technology using Microsoft Origami Experience 2.0, push email and SMS using HTC SnapVue, Windows Media Player 11, 7-inch touch sensitive “slide-n-tilt” screen, front facing camera useful for video conferencing, biometric finger print scanner, 40GB hard drive, Wi-Fi, 3G connectivity through Rogers Tri-band HSPA, and Bluetooth 2.0.

If those features are not enough, how about if Rogers throw in a software update which will enable GPS connectivity, map and navigation capabilities? Well, that would come within three months as promised by Rogers. In the meantime you might want to prepare $1,599.99 to snag one HTC Shift for yourself. The HTC Shift is available at selected Rogers Wireless outlets in Canada today.

Via [Into Mobile]

While the Advantage X7510 from HTC is without a doubt a sleek looking device, its one that us here in the US will just have to continue to read about. It seems that the Qualcomm chipset that is used in the X7510 is not allowed to be sold in the US, which means that unless you want to spend a fortune by getting one imported yourself, its just not going to happen. We can only hope this will change in the future, but until then we are simply out of luck.

Via [Gotta Be Mobile]

Alltel has just added a new colored version of the HTC Touch to its lineup, the new shade is burgundy and it is currently available. Aside from the new color, the features and pricing both remain the same as the original gray coloring. The Touch offers TouchFLO, a 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth and runs on Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional, it was also recently updated to add Rev. A EVDO support. The burgundy, or original gray Touch will set you back $129.99, which comes after a mix of instant and mail-in-rebates along with a 2-year agreement.

Product [Alltel]

Its hard to deny that the upcoming Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 and the HTC Touch Diamond both look really nice, but are still feature packed phones. A few images have recently surfaced showing both handsets side by side, while the images are not perfect, they still give a nice perspective. Given the option to use either phone it would be a hard decision, without handling either handset yet, I would lean towards the Touch Diamond. Keep reading for a few more pics…

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